Screen Time

Children ages 6 months to 6 years spend more time using screen media, such as TV, video games, dvds, and computers, on a daily basis than they spend reading or being read to, according to a survey of parents.

The survey of more than 1,000 parents by the Menlo Park, Calif.-based Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation found that, on average, youngsters spent 59 minutes a day watching TV, 24 minutes watching DVDs or videos, six minutes playing video games, and seven minutes on computers, for or more than 1½ hours of screen-media exposure. The parents said their children spent 40 minutes a day being read to or reading.